-Visit the walled city of Carcassonne
?Discover the remarkable string of Cathar castles
?Walk through meadows, forests, gorges & mountains

Carcassonne & Mighty Montsegur
Shrouded in mystery and often subjected to brutal persecution, the Cathars were Christians whose beliefs challenged the Catholic establishment. Emerging during the 10th century, Catharism flourished for over 400 years and spread throughout Europe before finally being extinguished. We begin our journey at the impressive medieval city of Carcassonne, a former bastion of Catharism. We then travel into the Pyrenean foothills reaching Montsegur - perhaps the best known of all the Cathar strongholds. From the castle perched high on a craggy outcrop we look down on the tiny village of Montsegur, its houses curiously lined in long straight rows; and to the east the rolling hills of Ayiege stretch to the horizon - our walking route over the next six days.

Gorges de la Frau & Puivert
Our itinerary takes us through forests to the awesome Gorges de la Frau (meaning "Gorges of Fear"), whose sheer walls provide an eerie echo to crickets and nesting birds. Then to Chateau de Puivert, whose sombre yet beautiful architecture reflects the ascetic ideals of the Cathars - to whom the spiritual world was infinitely more important than the physical.

Corbieres & Chateau de Peyrepertuse
Walking via the attractive market towns of Rennes le Chateau and Rennes les Bains (a spa town), we overnight in idyllic Corbieres villages such as Granes and Sougraigne, then continue through the Gorges de Galamus to Peyrepertuse - a formidable castle stretching 300m along the crest of high cliffs. Finally we visit Queribus, probably the best preserved of the Cathar castles, perched dizzyingly on a needle of rock.

Itinerary:

Day 1 Join Carcassonne. 2 Morning in Carcassonne; drive to visit Montsegur castle. 3 Walk via Gorges de Frau to Belcaire. 4 Drive to Puivert; visit castle, walk to Bourriege. 5 Walk via Rennes le Chateau to Granes. 6 Hike to Rennes les Bains; continue on foot to Sougraigne. 7 Drive to Gorges de Galamus; hike via Peyrepertuse to Duilhac. 8 Visit Chateau de Queribus en route to Narbonne; transfer to Toulouse; tour ends.

Accommodation: 7nts hotel/gite/ auberge/bergerie staying in basic accommodation other than Carcassonne and Sougraigne where we are staying in standard hotels; family run accommodation often in traditional surroundings; 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches & 6 dinners included.
Transport: Bus/On foot.
Comment: This short, accommodated walking trip is graded moderate. Walking between the Cathar castles which abound in this unspoilt corner of France, we stay in gites, small hotels, an auberge and a bergerie (shepherd's hut). A support vehicle enables us to walk unencumbered. Bring a sleeping bag for the gite & bergerie accommodation.
Group: Approx. 12 to 16.
Staff: Explore Tour Leader plus luggage transfers.
Trip Reference: FC